Big push for healthy, warm and dry homes

Lower Hutt is leading
the region in getting property owners to take up the Warm up
New Zealand: Healthy Homes insulation programme. Recent
figures released by EECA show 946 houses have been insulated
using the subsidy.

Mayor Ray Wallace says “It’s
important that Council gets behind these types of programmes
to reduce the health risks to people living in cold damp
housing in our city.

“We’ve actively been promoting
this subsidy to all residents because we want property
owners and landlords to take advantage of it. Ideally we
should all be living in homes that are warm and dry and our
most vulnerable members of the community shouldn’t be put
at risk.

“Along with seven other Council’s we also
offer a free in home Eco Design Service where an advisor
visits homes to help residents work through practical
solutions for common housing problems like condensation and
mould and is able to make referrals for people that she
works with that are eligible for the EECA subsidy.”

The
subsidy is available to people who are most in need and must
meet this criteria:

• your home was built before
2000, and

• you are the home owner or main
tenant with a Community Services Card (CSC). (If you don’t
have a CSC card, contact Work and Income to find out if you
qualify), and

• there are children under 17
years old, or people over 65 years old, or someone with high
health needs (such as asthma) living in the home, or

•
you are a landlord with eligible tenants.

You can sign up
directly for the insulation and subsidy via one of the
following installers:

• Sustainability Trust
0505 78 78 24

• Right House 0800 744 569

•
EnergySmart 0800 777 111

• Warm Up Wellington
0800 RU Cold (0800 78 26 53)

Sarah Firth, Hutt
City Council’s Eco Design Advisor is holding a
free community talk on practical solutions for common
housing problems like condensation, mould, insulation,
draughts and large heating bills. She is available for
private consultations by calling 570 6927.

Warm up
your home: free community talk

Thursday 11
September, 5.30pm

Sustainable Living Centre (pop-up shop),
151 High Street, Lower Hutt

Recent figures
released from EECA on the number of homes in the Wellington
region that have been insulated using the government
subsidy:

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